Christina Aguilera Gives Black Sandals a Crystal-capped Twist

Christina Aguilera took a leaner route than the platform-heavy red carpet lane at the Breakthrough Prize on Saturday night, arriving at Barker Hangar in Giuseppe Zanotti’s Intriigo Jewelry 105 and using a spare black evening sandal to sharpen an otherwise dark, body-skimming look.

Aguilera wore the Zanotti pair in black patent leather, a high 105 mm stiletto style cut with two slim straps and a long pointed front left open at the center. The pair sat closer to a mule than a standard ankle-strap sandal. Nearly all the shine was concentrated at the pointed toe, where Zanotti added a gold metal cap set with square and baguette-cut rhinestones. The rest stayed stripped back.

She paired the subtly shimmering sandals with a black Salih Balta spring 2025 ready-to-wear gown. The piece featured a molded, leather-like bodice, a broad off-the-shoulder neckline and a sheer, ruched skirt that draped over her feet. The look was styled by Chris Horan.

That sharper evening-mule lane has been widening. Giuseppe Zanotti’s Intriigo line has turned up repeatedly on celebrities over the past year, and has tracked Anya Taylor-Joy through several versions, from white Intriigo Strap sandals during the “Super Mario Galaxy” press run to an Intriigo mule at Tiffany & Co.’s holiday event. Aguilera’s pair fit inside that same sleek Zanotti vocabulary, but the black patent finish and crystal-capped toe gave it a harder, more high-contrast read.

That direction also lined up neatly with the image Aguilera has been pushing elsewhere. In her April WWD interview around Nexxus’ Keraphix collection, she called blond her “go-to classic.” At the Breakthrough Prize, that platinum-centered image ran straight through the rest of the look: short bob, black gown, black patent heel, then a precise hit of shine right at the front of the shoe.